The Economical Vegan

With so many expensive, pre-packaged vegan food items on the shelves these days, it can be easy to find yourself way over budget while doing your weekly shopping. New vegetarians and vegans can especially find it tempting to succumb to all the meat, cheese, and milk imitations out there.
My goal is to prove this doesn't have to be - and shouldn't be - the case. That’s why I’ve decided to share my satisfying, delicious, and economical vegan recipes.

Wednesday, March 10, 2010

So for the past few months I have had a major sweet potato obsession. Mashed, baked, stir fried, hot, cold - I simply cannot get enough of these delicious, nutrient packed vegetables. However, my favorite - and easiest - recipe for them that I've tried to date is this one. It might not seem like much, but I assure you it is positively addictive.
This is really great with avocado too, so if you have one on hand, dice it up and toss with the sweet potatoes right out of the oven.

Monday, January 11, 2010

Hello everyone! Sorry for the bit of absence again from my last post, but it's difficult to find time to update when you're enjoying warm Miami weather in December.
As far as the trip went, it was great to be in another climate and try out dishes with a bunch of ingredients I can't find up north. Those Florida avocados are truly dreamy.
However, now that I'm back in cold, snowy Ontario, it's back to making warm, hearty meals. This is one that is almost too easy to make, and quite easy on the budget regardless of where you live.

Sunday, December 20, 2009

Hello everyone!
To begin, I have to apologize for the long absense of updates here. I had a very busy month that included travel to sunny Miami where I'm currently staying. You can certainly expect regular updates once again.
I've tried out a lot of recipes recently, including a few Peruvian and Thai dishes. However, my personal favorite for the past little while is a simple mix of mushrooms and spinach that I've been putting on sandwiches and crostini. It's simple but really delicious and makes a great appetizer for the holidays.

Served here with herbed home fries for a filling meal that's not too pricey.

Monday, November 23, 2009

I've always really enjoyed Thai food, however I haven't really ventured to make it at home very often. Which actually isn't very good, since Thai restaurants in Canada are usually rather expensive and making the recipes at home are really quite cheap! Since my boyfriend has recently become a Thai curry junkie and I'm quite a fan myself, I decided to get started on making some curry pastes.

Place all ingredients in a blender or food processor. Simply blend until an entirely smooth consistency is reached.

To make a curry for topping rice, simply heat a tablespoon of oil in a wok or medium skillet. Add 2 - 3 TBS curry paste and heat until fragrant. Add about 3/4 - 1 cup coconut milk and whatever veggies and/or tofu you desire. You could also include about 1/2 cup veggie stock for more flavor. Serve over rice - I prefer brown coconut rice. Preparing it this way should make two servings.

Makes enough for about 6 servings of curry. It should keep for about a week in the fridge.Note: This makes a lot of curry. The picture was taken for apperance only - I definitely added more of the curry on top before I ate it!

Wednesday, November 18, 2009

I've been rather sick today and decided my first meal of the day (at 4pm) should be a nice bowl of soup. I was given a big container of baby spinach (free food is always a plus) that was about to expire soon, so I decided a cream of spinach soup would be a great idea. Little was I expecting it to be so outstandingly delicious! This is really simple and quick to make, and if you don't have fresh spinach, frozen would work too.

Sunday, November 15, 2009

Who doesn't love creamy, perfectly ripe avocado slices? I had a couple of these perfect avocados that I needed to use up within the day, so of course I decided to go with my absolute favorite avocado salad recipe.

The best Avocado Salad you'll ever have
2 ripe avocados
1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced
1 large clove garlic, crushed
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon umeboshi vinegarNote on ingredients: Avocados can usually be found on sale at most grocery stores every few weeks, so be sure to check your flyers.
Umeboshi vinegar is often really marked up at grocery stores, but I have found big bottles at natural food stores for less than $5. It will last you awhile, and I've used it in stir frys and salad dressings with great results.

In a good sized bowl, place onion and garlic. Add lemon juice and vinegar, and stir to cover. Let marinate for 10 minutes.

Friday, November 13, 2009

Sorry about the pun, but it felt appropriate. Anyhow, I picked up some miso the other day with the intention of using it in another recipe I've yet to get around to. However, there's a lot in a container so I decided to use up the vegetable broth in the fridge and make some miso soup with rice noodles.
Note: Since miso can often be quite costly at some supermarkets and natural food stores, try visiting your city's asian markets or Chinatown. You can usually find it much cheaper in one of these places (and be sure to pick up some rice noodles on your visit!) Miso Soup
3 1/2 cups vegetable broth
1 medium sized carrot, shredded
4 TBS chopped onion
3/4 cup extra firm tofu, cubed
1/6 package of rice noodles
1 clove garlic, minced
3 TBS miso paste

In a medium sized sauce pan, add broth, carrots, tofu, garlic and onion. Heat on medium high for about 4 minutes.

Add rice noodles and stir them in as they begin to soften.

Meanwhile, dissolve miso paste in 1/4 - 1/2 cup warm water.

When carrots and noodles are tender, remove pan from heat. If it had been boiling, let it cool, then add the miso/water mixture. Stir well and serve.

Serves: 2

This is really easy and quick to put together, and while miso soup is usually served as an appetizer, the rice noodles bulk up the recipe to make it the perfect lunch or light dinner. Plus, miso is packed full of B vitamins and protein, so it's a great addition to your daily diet!

Monday, November 9, 2009

Even though I am typically not a big fan of bell peppers, I've been meaning to come up with a recipe for stuffed peppers for awhile. While I was initially hoping to use poblano peppers instead of bell, I was unable to find what I desired after trips to several grocery stores. Despite the setback, I really loved how these turned out. The best part? These are incredibly healthy and low in calories, so they make for a great lunch or light dinner.
The salsa also yields quite a lot, and is great with tortilla chips - or for using in my cheeseless burrito recipe!Garden Fresh Salsa
1 lb roma or vine tomatoes, chopped
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
6-8 garlic cloves
1 green jalapeno, stemmed and seeded
1 small or 1/2 medium sized white onion, chopped
1 lime, juiced
salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste

Mix all ingredients in the blender until well mixed and smooth in texture. Don't over blend.

Friday, November 6, 2009

This is one of my favorite recent recipes that I threw together because of it's simplicity, great taste, and extremely filling nature. This recipe easily makes 4-6 servings. Even if you're just cooking for yourself, just save the leftover fillings in the fridge and throw them together in a tortilla the next day. Just remember to wait to cut the avocado up until then!

Tip: When it comes to choosing coconut milk, never get the 'light' versions. All it means is that there is added water, something you can do at home (essentially giving you 'extra' coconut milk.)

Begin by bringing coconut milk and water to a boil. Add rice, and simmer for 45 minutes or until cooked. Add curry and cayenne.

When the rice is close to being finished, warm refried beans over medium-low heat with 1 clove garlic, corn kernels and cheese alternative if you choose to add them. Be sure not to overcook. Reduce heat as necessary until warmed.

Preheat oven to 250 F. Slighty mash avocado with remaining garlic and salsa. Spread on tortillas, then add as much diced red onion as you'd like.

Mix rice and bean mix together, then pile equal amounts on each tortilla. Top with slices of tomato and green onion.

Roll into burrito form and place on a cookie sheet in the oven. Warm them up for 4-8 minutes, until nicely warmed and tortilla is soft (not too long or it will get crunchy.)

Thursday, November 5, 2009

Ah, introductions. How tricky you can be.
Well, I would first like to welcome all readers to the Economical Vegan and will briefly explain exactly what I am hoping to accomplish.
Even though I have been a vegan for around four years now, I still remember the difficulties of transition - and the severe dent it can leave in your pocket - even after being a vegetarian for several years. All those fancy, ready-made products in the health food aisles - tofukey this, tofutti that - come at a very hefty price. Not only are they heavy in cost, but also often in fat, calories, sodium, sugars, and other additives. Besides, the taste often leaves much to be desired in many of these products.
So, I have decided to begin sharing my recipes with all of you. I hope to inspire you in the kitchen, as well as myself, since this will give me motivation to continue coming up with tasty yet frugal vegan dishes.To be clear - these recipes are NOT limited to vegans!
Sure, that's the primary target, however vegetarians and omnivores alike are sure to enjoy the meals that will be posted here. Try out a recipe (or two, or three..) and see how easy, delicious - and affordable! - adding a few vegan meals to your diet every week can be.

I've decided on a simple recipe to start this off. Although the ingredients can tend to be pricey, this makes for a nice, light lunch packed full of nutrients that can be thrown together in minutes.